Fox attack - limp neck

[Loona]

View attachment 1101328
I used this photo again so I could hopefully make things clear. If you post a blank photo of her vent I'll draw on it.

So the green line points to were I think her vent is still attached. The red lines are what appears to be torn. I would put steri strips like the black lines.

View attachment 1101337 The green lines I added are were I think Olga is torn on the outside. As long as those wounds don't enter the "plumbing" shown in the picture I think you're safe from poop getting into her wounds.

Her dirty butt before the attack could have just been a dirty butt. Sometimes it happens. The stinky poop could have been from the stress of the attack. My thoughts on why the fox went for the vent are not pleasant but I'll share them... it's the easiest way to the organs. A lot of carnivores hunt and eat that way.

It sounds like she is doing pretty good all things considered. I'd keep up with the antibiotics. Keep a good eye on her green neck too. It could be really bad bruising.

I like 6MotherCluckers description of packing the wounds. If the punctures on her neck are deep enough you could do the same with those.

You're doing great! Keep it up and keep us posted!

You're right, her poopy butt before could've been slight poopy butt but no big deal. And yes, no doubt the episode could cause stressful poops. It was because of the funky colors and terribly rank smells that I thought maybe she was sick. But yes, my guess could be wrong. Could all be after effects of the attack.

We must've gotten there in the nick of time before he dove right in to her guts! My daughter was the first one there, how she heard it in the middle of the night is a real blessing, they'd all be dead. My husband ran right in chickens going everywhere fox trying to escape back and forth till he found his hole and was gone. There was Olga upside down stiff as a board feet straight. I picked her up and her neck was so floppy I thought she was gonna die, but here she is today. She is a tough girl! We love her! So thankful to have all of you wonderful people helping Olga, it's heart warming!

The strips I have are very long and narrow. Do I cut them to fit? I will send another photo. Thank you so much!
The swelling is a bit better today. Its the edges of the tear that are forming funky scabs, and they are stained by her poop. I tried cleaning it even better like deep cleaning but was afraid it'd swell again too much rubbing. I can now see that yeah, the flap on top should be attached on each corner, one side worse than the other. Since the swelling is better it seems its easier to curl under and stay put. Maybe this thing will eventually curl in on its own once the corners begin to heal. I will have experiment how to attach those strips. I've never used them before.

 

[Loona]

Have you watched to see where the poop is actually coming out? Is it coming out from underneath the "scalloped" part?

Yes, I believe so. Is that good? I hope so!

 

[6PeckinChickens]

If it is all external and nothing internal is torn and it was my chicken, I would be tempted to leave it. At this point with how long it has been since she got her injury, you would have to debride the area before you put the strips on. Meaning you would have to scrape the tissue that you want to heal together and make it bleed so it will heal. Doing that without any local to numb would hurt like crazy! You could make an epsom salt bath and soak her in that, or put cotton balls or a rag soaked in the solution on her vent to help with swelling. Kinda like a sitz bath after women have babies!

 

[Loona]

If it is all external and nothing internal is torn and it was my chicken, I would be tempted to leave it. At this point with how long it has been since she got her injury, you would have to debride the area before you put the strips on. Meaning you would have to scrape the tissue that you want to heal together and make it bleed so it will heal. Doing that without any local to numb would hurt like crazy! You could make an epsom salt bath and soak her in that, or put cotton balls or a rag soaked in the solution on her vent to help with swelling. Kinda like a sitz bath after women have babies!

I was looking online at "gluing" with Dermabond type products, and youtubes of using the adhesive strips and wondering what the condition of the two adjoining sides should be. You have a very good point. The swelling seems to be going down and its not sticking out as far, which is what made me wonder if it was slightly prolapsed. Maybe it is all just swelling.

That is a great idea about getting a washcloth dipped in water/epsom salt and just let the cloth rest on her butt. She cannot sit : \ I am just sure yet what I'll do in that area.
Thank you so much for your advice.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Compresses are a good idea

 

[casportpony]

I would not bathe her, she's way too sick for that, and I would let the wound(s) by her vent heal on their own.

 

[casportpony]

Compresses are a good idea

They are if they don't stress her.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

If you can soak her bottom and get some of the dried scabby skin off I would put the steri strip like the white line I drew. On both sides of course. If you need to trim the length or use more then one that's fine. The idea would be to pull that upper part back into place and hold it there as best you can. They pucker their vent a lot so I'm sure it will try and move some. That's was another concern I had with glue. It may pull at the tissue and be very uncomfortable for her.

Really though as long as none of her inner workings are damaged you could just leave it like 6MotherClukers said. She may have a funny looking butt but if it works once her feathers grow back you'd never see it anyway.

Since she seems to like to be on her side I was going to mention you may want to alternate which side she lays on. You don't want fluid to build up from her always laying one way or the other.

You're doing great! Give Olga a tasty treat from us!

 

[Loona]

View attachment 1101734
If you can soak her bottom and get some of the dried scabby skin off I would put the steri strip like the white line I drew. On both sides of course. If you need to trim the length or use more then one that's fine. The idea would be to pull that upper part back into place and hold it there as best you can. They pucker their vent a lot so I'm sure it will try and move some. That's was another concern I had with glue. It may pull at the tissue and be very uncomfortable for her.

Really though as long as none of her inner workings are damaged you could just leave it like 6MotherClukers said. She may have a funny looking butt but if it works once her feathers grow back you'd never see it anyway.

Since she seems to like to be on her side I was going to mention you may want to alternate which side she lays on. You don't want fluid to build up from her always laying one way or the other.

You're doing great! Give Olga a tasty treat from us!

Thank you. After mulling over where to put them, I can see that I should join the tear on the right, but yeah, I keep thinking the adhesive would make it very uncomfortable because of how much they move their vent. I am leaning towards not doing anything.
No I don't see any evidence of damage inside. I lifted the flap and looked at it w/a flashlight and it just look fine, no torn tissue from what I saw. Maybe that flap of skin those edges will roll inwards what the swelling is better. I did push it in once this morning and it stayed and looked totally normally. If I did use a strip, maybe that would be the way to do it. Tuck it in, while the two edges are together, tape it. But for now, I think I will let her be.
Thank you all so so very much. So nice to have people helping and wishing Olga well

 

[wvchics]

What it looks like to me is that both sides of her vent are ripped.
View attachment 1100900
I marked this picture where I'm thinking the tear is. It could be all the way under, from side to side. That's hard to tell.

You may have to debride the skin in that area. (Basically scrape or cut off dead tissue.)
If the cloacal opening is intact there is less chance of poo getting into her wound. You may be able to glue it. I still think steri strips are your best best. They will allow for some movement of the area. (Let's be honest they move their vent a lot.)

I'm sure her neck is bruised and rather traumatized. The antibiotics are good just in case. As long as the green seems to be the bruising reabsorbing I think you're ok. If you think they are infected you could try and flush them with cool water. She may like the cool water run over her skin anyway if she liked the ice pack.

You're doing great! Keep up all the good work!
(BTW hard to find pictures of a normal chicken vent online)

Definitely keep giving the antibiotic the heat is a sign of infection. Make sure you continue to give it until her neck is healed enough to not have to worry about infection. Really glad you went with your gut on that one. The cold may feel good but try not to overdo it as it may interfere with the ability to beat the infection. The heat is from a fever in the area trying to kill the bacteria and also increases blood flow to the area helping it heal